Automatic valve



0. M. KIRLIN AUTOMATIC VALV E June 22 1926; 1,589,601

Filed August 25, 1924 lzwmfoe/ 0712: 1 [137L172 Patented June 22, 192 6.

Uhll'l'lslfi STATES i A l ti i i CTIS M. KIRLIN', O13 VVATERTO'WN, SOUTH DAKOTA.

AUTOMATIC VALVE.

Application filed August 25, 1924. SerialNo. 734,025.

My present invention relates to automatic valves and gauges intended for general use but especially adapted for use in connection with air pressure systems for inflating pneumatic tires and for similar purposes, andhas for its object to improvethe same in the several particulars as will hereinafter appear. 1

To the above end, generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter de scribed and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the invent-ion with some parts broken away and sectioned,

and also showing by means of broken lines the valve stem and valve pin of a pneumatic tire;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the dial and shaft'on which it is mounted, with some parts broken away and sectioned;

Fig. 1 is a peripheral view of the dial;

Fig. 5 is a detail view with some parts sectioned on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1; and

Fig; 6 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section illustrating one means of applying the diaphragm to the valvestem.

- The numeral 6 indicates a cylindrical casing, one side of which is open to afford access to the interior thereof, and which open side is normally closed by a cover plate 7'. This cover plate 7 is detachabl-y secured to the casing 6 by means of screw threads which afiord a water and dust proof joint, and has at its axis an outwardly projecting hexagon-hub 8 bv which said cover plate may be turned. integrally formed with the casing 6 is a tangentially proyectrng head 9 and a radially projecting stem 10'wh1ch, as shown, extends substantially at right angles to said head and has on its outer end screw threads 11 to receive the coupling of an air hose leading from a suitable source of air supply under pressure, not shown.

In the outer end of the head 9 is an air chamber 12, and applied to said outer end of l the head is a screw cap 13 having an axial passageway 14 adapted to loosely receive a valve stem, as will presently appear. An

air conduit 15 leads from the air hose, not

shown, through the stem 10, thick side of the chamber 12.

Within the casing 6 is gauge mechanism which includes an annular dial 16 mounted to turn about the axis of said casing with its periphery close to the inner cylindrical surface of said casing. One side of the dial 16 is closed by a head 17 which is secured to a dislolike flange 18 on a shaft 19, and which shaft extends axially through the dial 16 and its head 17 and has its ends journaled in a suitable skeleton frame, not shown, secured to the casing 6. The dial 16 is secured to the head 17 for a limited circumferential ad.- justment in respect to the shaft 19 by a pair of diametrically opposite screws 20 that extend through circumferential slots 21 in the dial head 17 and have threaded engagement with the flange 18. Indicated on the periphery of the dial 16 are two axially spaced scales 22 which indicate pound pressure, and which scales extend circumferentially around the dial in opposite directions.

The scales 22 are readable through a pair of circumferentially and axially spaced sight openings 23 in the periphery of the casing 6, and which scales are circumferentially spaced in respect to each other so that the same reading may be had through each sight opening. These sight openin are covered with pieces of celluloid or other transparent material and each has indicated thereon a reading line 24, preferably red. The purpose of providing the scales -22 reversing the same is so that the dial may be read when the gauge is turned with the head 9 toward or away from the operator.

To operate the dial 16 by air pressure from the conduit 15 there is provided spring-acting helical tube 25, one end of which is anchored in respect to the casing 6 and has communication with said conduit. The other end of this tube 25 isicloseld and pivotally connected by a short link 26 toone end of'a lever 27 intermedially fulcrumed to the dial head 17. On the other end of the lever 27 is a segmental gear which meshes with a pinion 29 on the shaft 1:9. When air under pressure is admitted to the conduit 15 the helical tube 25 Will tend to straighten and thereby rotate the dial 16 through the connections thercb1etween.

Mounted on the inner face of the body of the cap 13 is a flexible diaphragm 30 of rubber or other suitable material, and er;-

tends across the passageway 14. Overlying this diaphragm within the air chamber 12 is a concavo-convex anchor plate 31 having a peripheral flange which, together with the peripheral edge portion of the diaphragm 30, is clamped between the outer end of the head 9 and body of the cap 13. The concave side of the anchor plate 31 is turned toward the diaphragm 30 and has rigidly secured thereto an axially projecting valve stem 32 that projects loosely through an axial hole in said diaphragm and into the passageway 14. On the end of the valve stem 32, outward of the diaphragm 30, is a valve head the inner face of which is beveled radially inward to said stem to form an annular flange 34 having a relatively sharp edge against which the diaphragm 30 normally seats to close the air chamber 12 to the passageway 1 1.

An air discharge port 35 extends axially through the anchor plate 31 and diametrically through the valve stem 32. The diaphragm 30 is normally held closed by a coiled spring 36 compressed between the concave face of the anchor plate 31 and a washer 37 on the valve stem 32 and bears against the inner face of the diaphragm 30. The outer end of the valve head 33 is made concave to afford a valve pin seat 38.

As previously stated, the passageway 1 1 is of such size as to freely receive the outer end of a valve stem 39, indicated by broken lines, on the inner tube of a pneumatic tire, not shown, to permit said stem to engage the diaphragm 3O surrounding the valve head 33 and lift said diaphragm therefrom to permit the escape of air from the chamber 12 into the valve stem 39 through the port 35. At the same time the diaphragm 30 is lifted from the valve head 33 the valve pin 40 in said valve stem is engaged by the concave seat 38 in the valve head 33 and depressed to open the valve in said stem. A bushing 11 is inserted into the receiving end of the air conduit 15 and has screw-threaded engagement with the stem 10 to reduce the size of the air inlet to less than that of the tire tube inlet.

It will be noted that the helical tube 25 taps into the conduit 15 substantially mid- Way between the air inlet and air outlet thereof and hence the air pressure in said conduit will operate the gauge before the tire is inflated to a corresponding press ire. To overcome this action, the dial set back a few pounds so that the reading thereof will be the same as the air pressure in the tire. The dial can be radially adjusted so as to give the correct air pressure in the tire by means of the screws 20 and slots 21.

To apply the diaphragm 30 to the valve stem 32 a tapered pin 42 is inserted through the axial opening in said diaphragm to stretch the same to a diameter slightly greater than that of the valve head The round large end of this pin 4-2 is then inserted in the pin seat 38 and the diaphragm moved axially from the tapered pin 12 over the valve head 33 and onto the valve stem 32 where it will again contract to a diameter materially less than that of the Valve head.

To inflate a tire the operator positions the head 9 so as to receive the valve stem 39 in the passageway 1st with its outer end bearing against the diaphragm 30. A pressure on the device will cause the valve stem 39, which acts as a base or" resistance, to lift the diaphragm 30 from the valve head 33 against the tension of the spring 36 and thereby permit the escape of air from the air chamber 12 into the valve stem 39, the valve of which has been opened by the engagement of the seat 38 with the valve pin therein.

By watching either one of the scales 22 through the respective sight opening 23 the operator may determine when the tire has been inflated to the proper pressure. As soon as the device is lifted from the valve stem 39, the spring 36 will immediately return the diaphragm 30 to normal position and thereby close the port 35 at the same time the valve pin will be released and automatically closed to cut off the escape of air from the tire.

What I claim is:

1. In a valve, the combination with a member having a chamber and an outlet passage, of a flexible diaphragm between the chamber and passage, a fixed valve head in the passage outward of the diaphragm and having a valve stem extending through the diaphragm and anchored in the chamber, a spring yieldingly pressing the diaphragm onto the fixed valve head, and an outlet port leading from the chamber and arranged to be opened to the passage by an inward movement of the diaphragm from the fixed valve head, said valve head being spaced from the sides of the passage to expose the diaphragm, whereby the diaphragm may be engaged by a cylindrical member, inserted into the passage and guided thereby over the fixed valve head, and pressed inward against the tension of the spring and away from the valve head to open the outlet port from the chamber to the passage.

2. In a valve, the combination with a member having an open chamber and a screw cap applied to the member and having an outlet passage, of a concavo-convex anchor plate having a valve stem on its concave side, a flexible diaphragm on the concave side of said anchor plate and having an aperture through which the valve stem pro )ects, said anchor plate and diaphragm being held between said member and cap with the latter outward of the former, a fixed valve head on the outer end of the valve said diaphragm may be engaged by a cylinstem, a spring between the anchor plate and drioal member inserted into said passage, 10 diaphragm and yieldingly holding said diapassed over the fixed valve head and pressed phragm pressed against the fixed valve head, inward against the tension of the spring and and an outlet port in the valve stem leading away from the fixed valve head to open the from the chamber, said valve head being outlet port from the chamber to the passage. spaced from the sides of the outlet passage In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

to expose the flexible diaphragm, whereby OTIS M. KIRLIN. 

